工程师

• Pinyin: gōng chéng shī
• Hanzi breakdown: 工 = pictograph of a tool; 程 = 禾 (grain) + 呈 (present/display); 师 = simplified from 師, a leader/teacher

Meaning

Engineer. A professional who designs, builds, or maintains structures, machines, or systems.

Covers all types of engineers: 软件工程师 (software engineer), 建筑工程师 (architectural engineer), 机械工程师 (mechanical engineer), etc. It is a respected professional title in Chinese society and is sometimes used as a form of address.

Examples

1. 我哥哥是一名软件工程师。 My older brother is a software engineer.
2. 这位工程师设计了一座新的大桥。 This engineer designed a new bridge.
3. 她大学毕业后想当工程师。 After graduating from university, she wants to become an engineer.

Usage Guide

Context: work, career, everyday

Tone: respectful

Do Say

• 王工程师，这个方案您看一下。(Engineer Wang, please take a look at this plan.)
• 他是一位经验丰富的工程师。(He is an experienced engineer.)

Don't Say

• 他是一个工程师人。(Don't add 人 after 工程师 — the 师 suffix already indicates a person. Just say 他是一个工程师.)

Origin & History

Compound of 工程 (engineering/project) and 师 (master/specialist). 工程 itself combines 工 (work) and 程 (process/journey), while 师 is a common suffix for professionals.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Professional